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insects

noun

plural of insect
as in shrimp
a person of no importance or influence the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insects With climate change, the bogs are drying out, so there are fewer insects for young chicks to eat. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026 According to the University of Florida, armadillos typically eat adult insects and larvae. — Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2026 The move blends pop stardom with taxonomy to spotlight the diversity of insects. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 The collection resulted in over 50,000 specimens, but scientists believe nearly 30 million insects remain undocumented. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026 Dry weather will kill off wasp prey, including other insects and vegetation, before the wasps get to it. — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Butterflies in Arizona are insects that go through a process called complete metamorphosis. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 10 Sep. 2026 So will native reptiles, plants, fish and insects, said Vladimir Roosevelt, Pantheon's operations director, who's overseeing the restoration. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 Mayflies are a lot bigger than the gnats and the other insects that participate in this nightly smorgasbord. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insects
  1. shrimp
  2. ciphers
  3. lightweights
  4. nobodies
  5. dwarfs
Noun
  • Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.
    — Janelle Davis, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.
    — Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2023
Definition of shrimp
Noun
  • There’s that vibrancy and, on the other side of the ledger, dead boys, ciphers, unfinished or unfinishable quests.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Definition of ciphers
Noun
  • Jupiter, by comparison, is as much as 35 times denser than these two lightweights.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).
    — Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of lightweights
Noun
  • In the trailer, the civilians are selling themselves as a new breed of nobodies.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of nobodies
Noun
  • Watching all ten members sing at once is funny the way the seven dwarves all sleeping in their little beds next to each other is funny.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
  • This is why a major question in the field is whether or not rocky planet atmospheres can even survive at all around M dwarfs.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of dwarfs

Browse Nearby Words

insectivores
insects
insecure
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Cite this Entry

“Insects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insects. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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